The present invention relates to protective, water-resistant clothing and particularly relates to a type of protective clothing known as waders, used in conjunction with a variety of water sports such as fishing; yet it is understood that the present invention is also usable in non-water related activities, where body protection from the elements is desired.
The use of wader-type protective clothing in conjunction with water sports such as fishing or crabbing, and specifically fly fishing, is well known and widely adopted. The waders are generally manufactured of a waterproof fabric. One type of wader, generally referred to as a "hip boot" style, is two boots which extend up to the thigh and are generally supported by attaching them to the wearer's belt. A second style of wader is the waist-high wader. These waders are generally a one-piece wader that extends up to and sometimes slightly above the waist of the wearer. Finally, there is a full chest wader, that extends up to the armpits of the wearer and is typically supported by shoulder straps.
The environmental condition faced by the user of such waders is normally the decisive factor as to whether the user shall wear the waist-high or chest-high version in his sporting endeavor. A sportsman using the waders in high water levels, low air temperatures, or foul weather conditions may desire to use the chest-high version for its increased warmth and protective qualities relative to the waist-high version. On the other hand, a sportsman desiring protection in shallower water or relatively higher air temperatures may desire to use hip waders or waist-high waders. However, sportsmen in general and fly fishermen in particular learn to anticipate a variety of conditions in any one expedition. They may find themselves having to go through deep water at one point in the day, but may spend most of the day in shallower water. Often, a sunny, warm day develops into a cold day as weather fronts move through. Such changing conditions often make the choice of wader an unsatisfactory compromise.
Additionally, the chest-high waders, with their shoulder straps and additional bulk, generally limit the user's freedom of movement (for instance when rowing a raft or drift boat or carrying or lifting an object) and are cumbersome and time-consuming to remove. Therefore, in situations where maximum freedom of movement is required, a user would be inclined to use the waist-high version, even if environmental conditions dictate otherwise.
To circumvent the inherent mobility and temperature retentive problems associated with the chest-high waders, many sportsmen wear the chest-high waders in all environmental conditions, yet disconnect them at the shoulder straps and fold or roll them down on top of and over the wader to produce a waist-high model when conditions dictate, with the shoulder straps and bib or chest-protecting area hanging loosely beneath or rolled into a "spare tire" about the torso. This situation is problematic for the sportsman, as the bulky, heavy chest-high waders are not adapted for use without support from the shoulders. Thus, they are difficult to keep up when in this configuration. More importantly, the sportsman may find the dangling or bulky chest and shoulder portions interfering with his sporting endeavor. Although this can be a problem in many sporting uses of waders, fishermen in particular often cannot afford to have such extraneous matter hanging from his clothing. The loose, hanging material comprising the chest and shoulder portion of the waders will tend to interfere with the use of the fisherman's equipment. Moreover, when wading in even knee-high water, the folded down chest and shoulder portion will tend to drag in the water.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wader providing full freedom of movement while being adaptable to varying conditions of temperature and water depth.